LET'S MAKE XMAS ACCIDENT-FREE (P.18, Sat. Dec 1, 2007)

Story: Rose Hayford Darko, Tema

THE National Road Safety Commission has assured Ghanaians of a sustained effort to promote safety on the roads during this Christmas season, and called for support from the public to observe safety regulations to make it successful.
Drivers and pedestrians alike are to put in maximum effort to prevent the occurrence of accidents on the roads.
The Director of Finance and Administration of the Commission, Mr Adom Boateng, made the call when he addressed workers of Unilever Ghana to mark the company’s road safety month of accident-free for 430 working days.
The theme for the programme was ‘Speed kills, arrive alive’.
He commended the company for making conscious efforts to eliminate accidents at workplaces and on the roads.
Mr Boateng noted that as a company that had the dual purpose of producing heavy equipment and conveying them by road to depots all over the country, it took them much more efforts to achieve the safe working days without accidents.
He disclosed that the commission had a target of achieving a single digit percentage of accidents in the country, and expressed the hope that all road users would make it a success.
Mr Boateng said the number of vehicles in the country had increased, making the roads much busier than it was before. He, therefore, called on road users to be more cautious.
He said drivers must not drive when tired, but should stop after every four hours to relax and gain composure, instead of relying on such stimulants as chewing gums, Nescafe and cola to keep them awake.
The second in command at the Tema MTTU, ASP Alice Gyamfi, cautioned drivers against speeding and overtaking, fatigue and drunkenness and called on them to, be patient on the road.
She said various areas on the roads had different speed limits which needed to be adhered to for the prevention of accidents.
ASP Gyamfi advised management to acquire alcho-meters to test the level of drunkenness by drivers who were suspected to be drunk to prevent them from conveying their goods.
She also expressed concern about drivers who were not registered instructors, but used their private cars to train prospective drivers how to drive, and noted that it was an offence and against the regulations of the profession.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Unilever Ghana, Mr Charles Kwofie, disclosed that the company loaded 30 trucks for distribution of its products daily.
He said the safety programme involved workers on the factory floor, drivers who conveyed workers and those who delivered goods.
Mr Kwofie noted that the company would continue to ensure safety and behavioural change among the workers.
He disclosed that it was the third year running that the company had observed the safety month without any accidents, noting that it had been a collective responsibility for all to reduce accidents to its barest minimum by observing simple rules on the road and in workplaces.
Mr Kwofie urged the drivers to avoid driving when tired, using mobile phones and being aggressive on the road.
He congratulated all the workers on making it possible for the company to achieve its target of safe working days.
Some workers were honoured for extra efforts they put in to support the company by reporting and, on their own, dealing with incidents which could have resulted in accidents.